WWE Smackdown 3/22/2024

WWE Smackdown 3/22/2024

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2024/03/wwe-smackdown-3152024.html

We see some of the wrestlers arrive.

Santos Escobar does a recap video on Rey Mysterio. He said Rey betrayed him and he gave him a way out. He said he took pity on him. He said he will hurt him in ways you won't want to watch.  

Santos Escobar vs Rey Mysterio

Both guys groups are banned from ringside for this. Rey dodges a slap and then slap flurries him. Rey back elbows him then bangs his head off the buckles. Rey botches a springboard crossbody and seems to have hurt his knee from it. Rey hits kicks to the leg. Rey tries to run up the buckles with Santos' arm but kind of slips and then springboard hurricanrana's him. Rey baseball slides him in the corner.

Santos hits a back elbow then knees him in the gut. Santos then basement dropkicks him for 1. Rey flying headscissors him out then slides into a splash outside on him. We go to break and return. Santos pulls Rey's arms back then flying double knees him in the corner.

Rey double boots him out of the corner then hits punches. Rey is sent chest first into the buckles. Santos tries to corner spear him but hits the post. Rey then top rope plancha's him on the outside. Rey hits a top rope la silla then hits clotheslines. Santos sunset flips him and Rey rolls through into a low dropkick. Rey asai moonsaults him for 2.

Santos superkicks him then calls him a pathetic old man. Rey hits upkicks and dropkicks him. Rey rams a piece of the commentary table into Santos which should be a DQ. Santos sits on the rail and Rey jumps off the commentary table to hit la silla on him. Santos is sent into the post. Rey goes to springboard and Dominick in a mask pulls him down.

Santos hits a 619 then a cradle shock to win it.

As I said, I thought Rey should have been DQ'd for the table piece shot. Rey had some botches here and it was slower than you might expect. I don't really know why Dom coming out to screw Rey was for. 

Bayley and Naomi talk in the back. Bayley thanks her for helping her out next week. Naomi said she was tryuing to do the right thing and said her anger is towards Iyo after what she did last week. Bianca Belair comes in. She said Bayley said she didn't mean it when it came to Naomi, but said she bet she meant it when her crew attacked Bianca for the last 2 years. Bianca said she hopes she gets what she deserves and said her actions have consequences. Naomi then separates them.

Bianca and Naomi continue talking in the back. Bianca tells her she wasn't here an ddoesn't know what happened. Naomi said everything she said is valid but there's nothing she can do about the past. She said she will do what needs to be done and said she can't do this by herself. She said they are picking them off one by one and it's like when they are picking on Bianca by herself. 

Wrestlemania Tag Title Match Qualifier Tournament - The OC (Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows) vs Austin Theory and Grayson Waller

AT poses and Luke hits him. Luke hits a boot to the gut and hits shots in the corner. Luke uppercuts Waller then Waller takes a kick to the gut and the side of the head. AT is lariated over the top then Karl tope con hilos both opponents.

We go to break and return. Luke chokeslams AT then he holds his knee in pain. Waller gets armdragged by Michin outside. Karl sentons AT then kicks him in the gut. Karl flipping neckbreakers AT. Karl spinebusters AT and then Waller. Karl 2nd rope diving neckbreakers AT for 2.

Waller breaks up a magic killer attempt. Luke throws Waller over the top then AT pins Luke with his feet on the ropes.

It was short and Luke seemingly got hurt legit here. There was no way it could have been selling. I would not have been shocked if they didn't call an audible here. 

We get a video on Bron Breakker where they put over some of his stats jumping stats. We see Heyman put him over calling him the future and we see him stare down with The Undertaker. They say he can run 23 miles an hour and has a 38 inch vertical jump.

Damage Ctrl is headed to the ring.

We get clips of Roman Reigns on today's Pat McAfee Show. He talks about being part of a dynasty and said he didn't have to go to Hollywood, Hollywood came to him.

Naomi vs Iyo Sky

Iyo doesn't come out while the rest of Damage Ctrl does. We go to the back and Iyo is beating up Bayley. Bayley is sent into a door. Iyo then comes out.

Naomi hits forearms on Iyo then hits corner spears. Naomi foot chokes her in the corner then Iyo hits forearms. Iyo diving hurricanrana's her off the 2nd rope then dropkicks her in the corner. Iyo chokes Naomi on the ropes.

Naomi takes foot slaps then 2nd rope twisting kicks her. Naomi single leg dropkicks her then they borch something that they call a bulldog. We go to break and return.

Naomi high kicks Iyo while she's on the apron and stunners her over the top rope. Iyo's head is banged off the top buckle then Naomi top rope crossbodies her. Naomi corner dropkicks her. Iyo pulls Naomi's throat over the top then springboard dropkicks her. Iyo hits a meteora in the corner

Naomi 2nd rope superplexes Iyo for 2. Naomi forearms Iyo against the ropes then is rolled into a double stomp. Naomi piledrivers her over the 2nd rope then Damage Ctrl comes out. Naomi gets distracted then Iyo top rope moonsaults her to get the win.

The finish was lame here and I thought Naomi got a little too much in on this one. They definitely had a botch here and it wasn't that bad.

Iyo axe kicks Naomi after and Naomi fights off Damage Ctrl 1v4. Asuka mists Naomi in the eyes then Bianca Belair comes out. She nails Kai and sends her into the post. She gets offense in and hits mounted punches on Asuka. Sane grabs Bianca by the hair and then takes a double chickenwing bomb. Kai clips Bianca then Bianca is left laying. 

We see Cody Rhodes and Nick Aldis talking.

We get a video on Jade Cargill. She said she didn't come here to be the next anyone. She said she's a once in a lifetime generational talent. She said she doesn't have to speak yet is the trending topic. She said they will build statues of her and you don't have to like it. She said she will take her talents to Smackdown. They announce her as an SD member after, saying she will be on the show next week.

Bianca and a trainer pour water in Naomi's eyes to get the mist out after. Tiffany Stratton walks in and says this is a good look for Naomi then leaves.

Kevin Owens talks to Nick Aldis in the back. He complains about Nick not responding to his texts. Pretty Deadly come in and say it's a conspiracy they aren't on Wrestlemania. They say Owens doesn't know anything about tag teams and Owens says he does. He talks about Mania and punching out both members of one at once. He challenges them to a match next week on SD with his partner. He said they made for a great team a few weeks ago. They mock him thinking he doesn't have a partner. Randy Orton then appears behind PD and scares them. They aren't happy about this and Orton tells Elton that his dad has a similar jacket to him. Nick tells them not to stand so close together then Owens knocks down both with a single punch. This was a fun segment.

We see a video of AJ working out, preparing for Mania at home. A car horn is honked and it's LA Knight. LA goes after him and they knock the camera's over. We then get footage from the police department of the two fighting and getting arrested. LA said he told him he'd get him wherever he is. AJ then hits him and the police break it up. AJ talks trash and LA said he hopes the cops are getting overtime for this. LA said he'll be back after he gets let out. LA says if AJ doesn't show up at Smackdown next week, he will be back. They said AJ declined to press charges and LA was released from custody.

Wrestlemania Tag Title Match Qualifier Tournament - The Street Profits vs The Authors of Pain

Dawkins takes a 2v1 to start and takes punches from AOP. Dawkins is choked on the ropes then hits a boot. Dawkins dropkicks one of AOP out and throws the other out. Ford hits a tope con hilo outside and is caught by both. They then throw him into Dawkins, who is jumping off the steps. We go to break and return.

Razor pounds on Ford then Ford is stomped by both members in the corner. Ford takes an elbow drop then hits an enzugiri on Razar. Dawkins is tagged in and hits lariats on Akam. Dawkins flying elbows one AOP member then pounces the other outside. Dawkins hits an underhook suplex then corkscrew splashes Akam.

Akam is put on Dawkins' shoulders then Akam face kicks Ford. Ford takes a lariat + russian legsweep combo for 2. Ford rolls up Akam and gets the pin.

It was shorter and rushed. It was entertaining but they didn't have enough time to really have a classic. 

Dawkins grabs the camera after, saying they are one step closer to Mania then shakes the camera saying "we are in your TV screen right now".

Paul Heyman is on the phone with Roman and tells him your people await.

Paul Heyman and Roman Reigns are in the ring. Roman said The Wiseman made a promise and here's here. He said Bloodline isn't here minus Paul, who is no physical threat. Roman says Cody will join Milwaukee to acknowledge him. Cody heads to the ring as we go to break.

We return. Cody comes down. Roman said he kept his word and is here by himself. Cody said if Roman came alone then he came alone. Roman says Cody's a fool and is stupid to him. Roman says Cody isn't fit for this job. He calls him an idiot. He tells him to start thinking with his head.

Roman mocks Cody for thinking Seth is on his side. He calls Seth his little brother. He said Seth stabbed him in his back and asks Cody what he thinks will happen to him. Cody asks if Roman remembers the first team that did beat The Shield and said the last name was "Rhodes".

Cody said Bloodline isn't a faction, it's family above all. Cody asks the fans if he can trust Seth. He said Roman could be right and maybe he hates Cody's guts, but he hates Roman more. Cody asks Roman is he can trust his partner at Mania. Roman basically accuses him of talking like a politician. He said Cody promises but never keeps the promises.

Roman says this is because Cody is a #2. He said the fans would be lucky to be a #2 and said Cody is the greatest #2 of all time. He said that's all Cody will be and says he is #1 forever.

Cody said Roman grew up in wrestling like he did. Cody said the generation than follows them will want to be the next Roman Reigns. He said that may be Roman's destiny but Roman is unfamiliar with his destiny. Cody says when it comes to Mania, he's not #2, he's the #1. He says good luck at Mania and offers a handshake. Roman walks off then snaps his fingers. Roman's music hits and then The Bloodline come in through the crowd.

Cody then does a gesture and then Jey Uso and Seth Rollins shows up. The two groups stand off and the show ends.

This was a weak segment that didn't do a lot for either guy. Cody has a habit of talking like he's doing an infomercial and that's not what you want out of someone who is going to be in the main event of the biggest show of the year. He didn't have much of interest to say on his comeback here and put himself down if anything. The story for Roman/Cody is great but none of the promo segments have really been that great with them. This is a real problem too since this Roman and Cody's second Mania main event.

Overall thoughts: It was okay but not a great show. The Roman/Cody main event segments without The Rock are just not hitting the mark. I think Luke Gallows got hurt in his match and Rey/Santos did not have the best night out. The Street Profits vs The AOP could have been real good with more time and Iyo/Naomi was okay. I wouldn't recommend this one.